From a chinuch standpoint, this virus will leave us with a mixed bag of after effects

Every dramatic incident has an aftermath. Anyone who has flown since 9-11 and has had to remove his shoes at airport security can attest to that. As we struggle with COVID-19, we’re getting used to multiple “new normals,” many of which will become new ways of life. From a chinuch standpoint, this virus will leave us with a mixed bag of after effects: some positive, and some that we’ll have to overcome.

On the core educational level, the remote-learning model will result in inevitable lapses. Many of our children will not cover their yearly curriculum. Beyond the amount of material missed, however, the remote model results in a different loss: the overall hashkafah, feeling for Yiddishkeit, geshmak in learning, and so many other non-tangible but very real elements of our children’s learning experience, may suffer severely. This risk is even more potent in homes that are less reflective of those values; for many of those children, their heavy dosage of “Yiddishkeit-infusion” happens at an assembly, a shmuess, an unscheduled class discussion and by seeing their rebbi or morah’s expressions and animation when discussing various topics.

Another negative effect: the extended time spent at home without formal structure has drawn many of our youth towards more screen time, and I fear that there will be victims of internet misuse, with the dark and slippery slope that it entails.

On the upside, many schools have successfully risen to the challenge of communicating and interacting with parents during this trying time, and I feel those efforts will result in a long-lasting bond of renewed respect and collaboration. Parents will increasingly look to schools for support in educating their children, and many schools who are seeing how much parents appreciate interaction will develop and embrace this relationship.

Perhaps the greatest positive change is the reset of the home environment as a vital part of our children’s Torah growth. The resilience of the Jewish home has been fanned and is now a healthy flame. Families have launched in-house initiatives and are stepping up in the most profound, creative and dedicated ways.

A creative father I know adapted an ingenious method for memorizing the 613 mitzvos; about two months in quarantine his children could already repeat over 100 of the mitzvos by heart. A devoted father is giving a daily Taryag Mitzvos shiur to his boys. A caring mother supplies her children with almost-daily special activities, from a family carnival to challah baking.